To The Wilderness
by The Dreaming Hare
Summary: The Dark Forest is known to be full of bandits and other dangers, but Hermione is soon to learn that much more can be found within the woods than she ever expected. A new life, a new home, maybe even - love? Bandit!AU.
1. In Which a Woman is Discovered

The carriage passed slowly along the beaten dirt road, trees encroaching thickly on both sides. It was a small carriage by all standards, large enough for only one occupant, pulled by a solitary horse and manned by one driver. Ornate at first glance, it had a used look about it. The faded and scuffed design of vines climbed the door, a threadbare velvet curtain shielding the occupant within from the outside world.

The driver hummed quietly to himself as he directed the horse, kicking his heels on the trunk on which he sat. The horse slowed, flicking his ears, and the driver paused to look around a moment. The trees stood silently and he shook his head as he descended from the carriage. As he reached the horse, a faint whisper could be heard and the driver stiffened from head to toe before collapsing upon the ground.

Three shadows emerged from between the trees, faces becoming visible as they came closer to the carriage. Dressed in green and brown tunics with hose to match, they looked at ease in the woods, their feet silent against the earth.

"Well that was easy," said the first, upon reaching the horse. His green eyes gleamed as he took in the placid animal, patting him softy on the nose.

"You should stay alert, Harry," replied the second. "Your mum will have our heads if we don't bring you back in one piece!"

Harry snorted quietly. "Honestly, Remus! You'd think I've never done this before!"

"Can't blame her for being careful, Pup," chimed the third man. "You're her precious baby, after all." He grinned as he patted the first on the shoulder cheerfully.

"In any case, we should check inside the carriage, Sirius. It's odd that no one has come out yet. Perhaps just an item transport?"

Sirius frowned as he considered this.

"Now that you mention it, there are no guards either. Bit of an easy target, yeah?"

He and Remus frowned at each other for a moment before moving simultaneously to stand on either side of the carriage door. Remus paused to signal to Harry to stand on the other side of the horse, just out of sight. Remus fell into an easy crouch, hand on the wicked looking knife tucked into his belt. Sirius gave Remus and Harry one last look before crouching and opening the door in one swift motion.

Both Sirius and Remus stared silently for a moment at the sight before them, before Sirius called for Harry to join them. He too stopped short at the sight, before rushing forward, only to be stopped by Sirius.

"Wait!"

Harry and Remus looked at him incredulously.

"Sirius. You honestly expect me to just leave her there?"

"Of course not! We don't know why she's there, Harry." He looked furtively into the carriage and spoke lowly. "There could be a reason."

"Nothing justifies this, Sirius," Harry hissed, gesticulating wildly, Remus silent at his side in agreement.

Sirius sighed and looked once more before nodding.

Before them, sitting upright on the seat of the carriage, was a woman. Her dark eyes had been tracking their movements the length of their discussion, though the gag on her mouth prevented her from interacting with them, as did the rope that tightly bound her wrists and ankles.

Harry jumped up the carriage step quickly and set to untying the gag behind her head, fingers nimbly working out the knots. As the gag came off, the woman took a deep shuddering breath of air and gazed at Harry levelly, then at the quiver slung upon Sirius' back and Remus' belt knife.

"I take it I'm being robbed?" she asked coolly.

Harry and Sirius looked away slightly, cheeks colouring. It was Remus who responded.

"You were, yes – though it seems the only thing of value in your carriage is your person, My Lady."

She was undoubtedly a Lady. From her flawless brown skin, marred only by the rope marks, to her fine dress and the pearls gleaming at her neck and ears, she could not be mistaken for anything else.

"Will you be untying my other bonds, or will you leave me thus?"

"For your pearls we shall free you," responded Sirius, ignoring the dark looks he received from the other two.

"Take them, then," the woman said, without hesitation. "I have no need of them."

Sirius reached out towards her and undid the necklace clasp, making quick work of removing the earrings afterwards. He passed them to Harry who gazed at them for a moment before slipping them into the satchel attached to his belt.

"How is it that you came to be tied up in your own carriage," Remus asked suddenly. "Were you set upon by thieves before you reached the woods?"

"Why," the woman snorted, "Are you afraid of a little competition?"

Sirius looked at her, affronted. "We are far more than _thieves_. We're bandits," he proclaimed proudly. "Living by our wits and using what resources we have to make good lives!"

"Sirius, enough," Remus hissed. "Your answer, Lady?"

She looked at them all before sighing quietly, stretching her arms above her head as Harry released her from the last of her bonds.

"I was not robbed before you came upon me. It was my Father's men that tied me and set me on this journey through the woods without a guard, though it is known they are dark and perilous."

Seeing their sudden stillness, she continued.

"My sister was betrothed to a man of questionable repute. Though he is of high standing and the match was advantageous to our family, I ached to see her bound to such a man. And so I volunteered to take her place."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "And they saw fit to tie you and send you off without a guard? Forgive me, but that doesn't seem like a likely story."

The woman shifted quietly in the carriage, cheeks flushing.

"While my sister is a cherished asset to our Father, I have been something of a nuisance. When I offered to take my sister's place it was viewed with no small amount of suspicion. It was thought that I would attempt to flee before reaching my betrothed."

"Just who is your intended?" Harry asked curiously.

The woman's full mouth twisted up into a grimace as she replied.

"The Dursley Heir."

They all stared at her in silent horror as they contemplated her response.

"Yes, rather unfortunate, isn't it" she said thickly.

"Unfortunate," sputtered Sirius. "Unfortunate would be an old man or a child! This is just – a travesty! You betrothed to that- that- "

"Yes, well. It is rather unavoidable at this point," she pointed out calmly.

"But my Lady," Harry said quietly, "Tales of his cruelty are known even here in the deep recesses of the woods."

She swallowed harshly and looked away before Remus caught her eye.

"Are you really so resigned to being the plaything of such a cruel man," Remus added.

"If it is to be my sister or myself, then I gladly embrace my fate."

Sirius extended his hand to her suddenly, a roguish grin splitting the gloom.

"What if it didn't have to be either?"

"I – what?"

She looked at Sirius, and then to the other two, bewildered. Sirius kept looking at her, and so she took his hand to step down from the carriage. Upon the ground, she realized just how tall Sirius and Remus were, at least two heads taller than she and Harry, who she was at a height with.

"Exactly what I said. What if we faked your death?"

All three looked at Sirius with various levels of disapproval, the woman herself moving forward to poke him in the chest.

"And what of my sister? I leave her to that overgrown bully," she asked shrilly. "I would never abandon her to that fate!"

Sirius quickly brought up his hands to defend himself. "No, no," he said quickly. "That isn't what I was suggesting at all!" He looked to Remus and Harry before continuing.

"Hear me out, please." Seeing them all nod hesitantly, he plowed on. "We fake your death, preferably close to your Father's fief. Then, when they realise what's happened and send your sister through the forest in your stead, we kidnap her and fake her death too!"

He looked breathlessly at the others. Harry looked considering, while Remus was simply regarding him as one would a madman.

"Sirius! Are you absolutely out of your mind!" Remus gritted his teeth and covered his face with his hands for a moment, breathing deeply.

The woman looked at Remus for a moment, before turning back to Sirius.

"Your idea has potential. I'm in," she said.

As they all looked at her rather incredulously, she held out her hand to Sirius.

"I'm Hermione, and I'm pleased to meet you."

* * *

AN:

Welcome to the first chapter of what I hope will become a comprehensively long and awesome story. This first chapter was written for NeonDomino as part of the Monthly One Shot Exchange over at HPFC. It is *definitely* AU, but more than that, it is a Bandits!AU, which is fantastic. The pairings will either be Remus/Sirius or Remus/Sirius/Hermione, I haven't yet decided. This story also features POC!Hermione, and others.

Hermione has a sister? Yes indeed, and you'll have to read on to find out who it is. Is there magic in this AU? Also yes.


	2. In Which Secrets Remain Unspoken

Remus stared at his companion incredulously before glancing at the woman they had found bound inside her own carriage. Her full lips quirked into a curious half-smile before she addressed Sirius once more.

"We're going to have to plan this out thoroughly, just so we're clear," she stated imperiously.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Of course we are! Do you take me for a fool, milady?"

"Yes," interjected Remus. "That's exactly what I take you for. Offering sanctuary is all well and good, but you cannot simply begin some hare-brained scheme without thinking of the consequences!"

His voice descended into a low growl, and Harry moved forward to place his hand on Remus' arm. Remus looked at him briefly before addressing the Lady.

"Lady Hermione, I am truly sorry for your unfortunate situation, and I would like to apologize for my companion's haste."

"Oh?" She looked at him questioningly before her gaze flicked to Harry, who was standing half behind him. Green eyes met brown for a moment before his cheeks reddened and he focused on the ground.

"Though I'm sure we'll be able to offer you some kind of sanctuary, we cannot overly endanger our home. It was wrong of Sirius to imply that we could implement some sort of rescue mission for your sister."

Here, he glared at Sirius, who shrank back in the face of his hard glare, affronted. He opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Remus.

"Excuse me a moment, Lady." He gave her a quick nod before grabbing Sirius by the upper arm and marching him into the treeline and out of sight.

Hermione looked after them, bemused. She turned back to Harry and observed him silently. He too was looking after them, his green eyes wide. It was a vibrant green that she had never seen before, complementing his fawn brown skin and deep blue-black hair. She noticed that there was a smattering of freckles on the bridge of his nose and across his cheeks, extending all the way to his ears.

He looked… young. Maybe about her age, she thought. And with thought, sparked an idea. She spoke.

"Do you agree?"

He focused on her, startled. He stared at her in silence, his gaze unreadable.

"Do you agree with your friend? That you cannot help to rescue my sister?"

His eyes clouded as he thought, taking in her stubborn expression, her dress of fine but worn cloth, her up-tilted chin, her defiant chestnut eyes. The rope marks stood out against her deep brown skin, reddened and bruised from the force with which they had been tied. Her brown curly hair stood in a halo around her head, ruffled by the slight forest breeze.

He spoke, his voice quiet. "I don't agree."

"Will you help me?"

He sighed. "I'll do everything I can. Nobody deserves the fate that would await them as Dursley's wife."

"Thank you. Truly."

Hermione moved forward to take his hands, their warmth a shock against his own cold digits. He looked down at their joined hands, his cheeks aflame. This close, he marvelled at her unmarked skin and the depth of her eyes – a slight golden tinge now visible.

"I would not ask anyone to risk their lives, or their homes. But my sister is a joyful soul. I cannot bear to see that light leave her. It would be a desecration of all that she is."

Her gaze was searing, and Harry knew that he couldn't stand by while Remus talked Sirius out of his plan. He couldn't let this girl, who couldn't be that much older than him, fend for herself and most likely lose her life trying to save her kin. He would help her.

"Come with me," Harry said as he let go of one of her hands, leading her to woods opposite where Sirius and Remus had gone. She followed close behind him, wondering for a moment what would happen to her horse and driver. Harry saw her pause.

"They'll be taken care of. The man will not remember much, and Sirius and Remus will bring your horse back," he reassured her.

"Will we be able to fake my death?"

"I'm sure if we put our minds to it we can find a way," he replied as he led her into the trees. He seemed at home under their boughs, the dappled light playing on his skin and clothes as he walked. His footsteps were silent, and Hermione was suddenly very conscious of her own loud steps, leaves seeming to crunch underfoot no matter what she did. Even her breath seemed too noisy in the silence of the forest.

Harry stopped suddenly, Hermione almost walking right into him. He turned to her, embarrassed, before speaking quietly.

"I'm sorry, I should have thought of this earlier. But I'm going to have to blindfold you."

His words were sheepish, and she stared at him in surprise before responding.

"Of course. There are others," she said numbly. "A secret community?" Her brain was firing as she thought through the implications.

"I really shouldn't say anything until we get there."

They stared at each other a moment, and Harry let go of her hand.

"Alright then." Hermione crouched down, and quickly fisted both hands in the bottom of her dress, tearing off a good portion of it. "This shall work well for the blindfold."

Harry looked at her a moment, dumbfounded, before laughing. The sound bubbled through the trees, and Hermione smiled in response.

"Yes, I think it shall work quite well." He held out his hand, eyebrow quirked, and she handed him the piece of tattered fabric. It was soft in his hands, the once fine material clearly worn but well cared for. It was a deep blue, adorned by a simple raised pattern of flowers. Hermione turned her back to him and he quickly fitted the fabric over her eyes, tying a secure knot behind her head.

Harry rested his hand gently on the young woman's shoulder, before slowly taking her hand once more and leading her through the trees. She went without protest, but not in silence.

"Can I trust you, Harry?"

Such a simple question. Yet Harry knew its importance. He could feel it in the air, could almost taste her anxiety on his tongue. He swallowed loudly.

"Yes. You can trust me."

"Why?"

He kept walking with her hand in his, though his thoughts were briefly stymied.

"I may not know you, but I know that helping you is the right thing to do. And I've already said that I would do that."

Hermione cocked her head at his response. He sounded so sure of himself. It was such a simple perspective… but it was refreshing as well. Doing something only because it was the right thing to do? She was certain that she hadn't encountered a man that had expressed that view before. But was he sincere?

She couldn't really do more than hope so.

"I'm sorry about the blindfold," Harry said, at a loss.

"It's no trouble. I understand that you must protect your home."

"Still. If there was another way to do this, I would do it," he mused. "I can't imagine that my mother will be too happy about this."

"What's she like?"

"My mother?" Harry thought for a moment. "She's clever and kind. She won't be happy with either Sirius or Remus about this, I should think."

"And your father?"

Harry said nothing, as Hermione once more became conscious of her footsteps in the undergrowth. His hand tightened on hers for a moment, before he spoke, voice oddly flat.

"My father is dead."

Hermione was taken aback by his tone, and squeezed his hand as they continued their journey through the trees. They walked for what seemed like an age, Hermione becoming aware of the sounds of the woods around her. Birds sang close-by, and small animals rustled in the leaves and on the ground. There was even was sounded like a stream after a while. It got louder as they walked, and soon she realized that Harry was leading her towards it.

As grass and leaves gave way to earth under her worn slippers, Harry halted and let go of her hand. His palm settled on her shoulder for a moment.

"Please have a seat here. I can't remove our blindfold yet, so I'll ask you to keep it on until I return. You'll be safe here."

Hermione did as he said, settling on the ground in a rustling of skirts, her legs folded under her. She said nothing as she heard Harry's quiet footsteps receding, and only hoped that she was doing the right thing by trusting him.


End file.
